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In his book “Matter of Days”, accomplished astrophysicist Hugh Ross takes on the age-old debate between young-earth creationism and secular theories about the origins of the universe and life on Earth. Ross brings a unique perspective as both a committed Christian and someone with extensive expertise in the sciences related to cosmology and the study of the universe’s beginnings.
The central thesis of “Matter of Days” is that the scientific evidence overwhelmingly points to the universe being incredibly ancient, around 13.8 billion years old, with Earth itself being around 4.5 billion years old. However, Ross argues this is entirely compatible with a literal interpretation of the creation story told in the Book of Genesis. His key insight is that the Hebrew word “yom” that is translated as “day” in Genesis can refer to long, indeterminate periods of time rather than 24-hour days.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Ross, Hugh (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 461 Pages – 03/02/2015 (Publication Date) – RTB Press (Publisher)
Ross marshals an impressive array of scientific data in laying out the case for an ancient universe and Earth. He delves into subjects like cosmological redshift, stellar evolution, radioactive dating techniques, and the fossil record to demonstrate that the universe could not possibly be only a few thousand years old as young-earth creationists claim. The sheer quantity of empirical evidence he presents is quite staggering.
That said, Ross is careful to not simply dismiss Scripture and try to reinterpret it through a purely secular, materialist lens. He takes the Genesis account seriously and respects it as the Word of God. His exegesis of the Genesis text explores nuances of language and cultural context in making his case that “yom” does not necessarily equate to a 24-hour day as we understand it. He points to other instances in the Old Testament where the same word is used more figuratively.
In taking this approach, Ross is aiming to reconcile two streams of divine revelation – the Word of God found in Scripture, and the “book of God’s works” revealed through the study of the natural world and universe. He contends these two sources of truth cannot contradict, since they stem from the same omniscient Creator. By accepting the ancient age of the cosmos based on the scientific data while interpreting Genesis in a non-wooden, literary fashion, Ross believes he can bring the two into harmony.
Whether one finds Ross’s specific arguments and exegesis convincing or not, “Matter of Days” is a tour de force when it comes to surveying the breadth of scientific evidence that points to the universe being far older than 6,000-10,000 years. Ross has an incredible command of an impressively wide range of scientific disciplines and research. His discussions of topics like celestial mechanics, nucleosynthesis, and the cosmic microwave background are fascinating and rigorous.
Ultimately, reasonable people can disagree on whether Ross has succeeded in his goal of fully reconciling the creation accounts in Scripture with the vast ages indicated by modern science. However, there is no doubt that “Matter of Days” does an exemplary job of laying out the relevant scientific facts about the cosmos in a remarkably lucid, cogent, and comprehensive manner. This makes it an invaluable resource for anyone sincerely wrestling with the complex issues at the intersection of faith, science, and our origins as a universe and species. By taking both divine revelation through Scripture and God’s revelation through nature seriously, Ross has made a profoundly important contribution to this vital dialogue.